Although another solo Superman film is lately having trouble gaining traction, one is always talked about or in the pipeline. Warner Bros.’ post-Zack Snyder tonal adjustment to the DC Extended Universe was going to be applied to Big Blue in a potential sequel to Man of Steel.
Warner Bros. approached Kingsman and X-Men: First Class helmer Matthew Vaughn for Man of Steel 2 in 2017. A comment he made to MTV News seven years before might’ve had something to do with that.
“I think that’s the one thing not to do with Superman, trying to do the serious The Dark Knight version. Superman is about color and fun, or it should be, for me.”
Side by side with his trustworthy collaborator Mark Millar (Kick-Ass, Kingsman: The Secret Service), the above was a pitch Vaughn had in mind since 2008. But, it took a decade of ups and downs for the studio to consider it. An official offer wasn’t made but he and Millar had serious plans that encompassed a new trilogy.
Speaking to Polygon about Rocketman, Vaughn detailed his “massive, uplifting, hopeful” vision (Millar’s words). He would have started on Krypton for an origin story, as Supes always does, but that was to be the setting for the entirety of the first film. Kal-El, growing up on his home planet and gradually familiarizing himself with Earth, would face conflicting loyalties to both planets while Jor-El dealt with Krypton’s destruction — meant for a later date than usual.
Drawing from his own continuity independent of current DCEU canon, WB didn’t bite and Vaughn is not presently connected to any Superman project. According to him, Man of Steel 2 isn’t happening but he’s open to an offer.
Henry Cavill’s status in the red cape is still considered up in the air, not that he has said he was done. We reported in the past word from his Justice League costars says the opposite.